Shadow of the Past
by FlamingGoldfish24
Summary: It started as a pleasant day of Team bonding and ended with a virus infecting the system and showing the team a part of Tony's past that he had kicked under the bed, hoping to never speak of again. This time the team's not going to let him suffer alone, no matter how stubborn he is. (Lots of Tony/Bruce friendship and Steve/Tony friendship) Tony-whump!
1. Chapter 1

**So, Avengers fanfic! rated T for swearing and other nuggets to come later :) **

**Also please note that I'm not a genius like Stark, so the technology stuff isn't accurate. (Just made tit sound more Tony-ish if you know what I mean :)**

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"Care to get started, Tony?" Steve snickered, filing through and shuffling another mound of paperwork onto his lap. He was tired, his eyelids drooping slightly, but it was all too silent in the room and someone had to keep up the good cheer. Unfortunately, ever the masochist, Steve took that duty on himself. He didn't mind it, and he smiled faintly when Tony shot him the middle finger.

"Fury's gonna get this goddamn paperwork when I'm ready and not a goddamn minute sooner." Tony muttered under his breath, refilling his coffee mug for the umpteenth time. The team was all gathered on his favorite floor of Stark Tower, thrown all over the place like used dish rags.

Clint was perched on the arm of the sofa, Natasha precariously curled beside him like a cat, both of them tending to their own heaping piles of paperwork. It had become a sort of ritual, really, ever since the big battle went down across New York. Fury had allowed them just a few short hours of recovery (and shwarma) before the paperwork came in by the helicopter-full-_literally_ –and none of them had a scrap of energy left, unable to move themselves any further than the tower. The group had collapsed when they reached the practically destroyed room, and there they stayed until every last wretched paper had been signed, sealed, and begrudgingly delivered.

Now, four battles, three minor squabbles, and half dozen reluctant clean-up jobs later they had stuck to tradition, relaxing together as they worked their hands to the bone.

"Why are you even here?" Tony demanded, casting a glance at Banner as he gracefully slumped back down onto the couch, mug in one hand and pen in the other, "You finished your paperwork hours ago and now you're just doodling-" Stark leaned over across the cushions- "Teapots and scientific formulas." The Doctor shifted his position slightly from where was sitting on the end of the crescent shaped arrangement, arms crossed over his chest and one hand resting thoughtfully on his cheek as he watched the team absently.

"Nothing better to do, really." He replied casually. Clint snorted, setting aside the stack he had finished in favor of the next.

"I could think of a few things." He answered sourly. Tony snickered to himself, wondering how many of those things included Natasha and, as though she could read his mind, she cast a venomous glare at the billionaire. He winked, grinning and taking a sip of coffee.

"It's not so bad," Steve replied, ever the optimist, "At least we're in good company."

"Well, that's true seeing as _I'm_ here." Tony shot back.

"Not what I meant." Steve sighed, moving on with the next piece of paper work. So many questions that they all seemed to blur together and there were only so many ways he could explain what had happened. Apparently, rewriting the same story eleven times could wear you out.

"Oh, you love me." Tony muttered with his championship smile. The pen was still clutched in his hand, and in the three hours he'd been _"Working"_ it had hardly been put to paper_. Might as well slack off entirely, _he decided, leaning forward and setting his mug and the lonely unused pen aside. He much preferred to have his hands on a tablet anyway, so he dug one of the hundreds he had lying around out from his bag and leaned back on the cushions cheerfully.

"Seriously, Stark?" Steve demanded, shaking his head in exasperation.

"Problem?"

"Yes." But that was all he said before returning to his work. Clint stifled a chuckle but Bruce seemed to side with Steve, shaking his head. Tony shrugged and tapped away, checking everything from stocks to TV scheduling for the week.

"Sir," JARVIS chimed suddenly, his polite voice bringing a silent curiosity over the group, "There appears to be an anomaly in the system." Tony was on his feet in a flash, tablet in hand as he made his way to a small station in the corner.

"Pinpoint." He commanded, his fingers flying across the surface of the tablet. All eyes were on Tony's back as he clattered around and suddenly a transparent screen was thrown up into thin air, files and ERRORnotices hovering all over the place. Clint actually ducked as some of the stray warnings shot up overhead. The billionaire tossed the tablet aside and began waving his hands around, flittering them about frantically.

"Virus suspension file V2-6978." JARVIS quipped, motors humming audibly. That was _definitely _not good.

"Stark," Steve demanded, moving to approach him, his paperwork forgotten on the couch, "What's happening?"

"There's a threat neutralizing JARVIS' servers and dismantling our pre-rec firewalls."

"Yeah, speak English, please."

"JARVIS is getting hacked."

"That's not possible," Natasha murmured, "It can't be. You're _Tony Stark_."

"Yet here we are." Tony snapped angrily, "JARVIS run program _Hat Trick 42_."

"I'm sorry, Sir. It appears that counter software is no longer functional." Tony cursed under his breath.

"Throw up a damage scale." He commanded. An alarmingly ERROR filled popup exploded around the team, different types of coding and signals floating through the air.

"Not good." Banner whispered. Tony hadn't noticed the Doctor standing beside him until he spoke, eyes wide on the transparent display.

"Definitely not good." How could the best damn security system in the _world_ be in the middle of a full blown attack and meltdown? He swore again.

"Sir, it appears that-" JARVIS was cut off by an earsplitting screech of static that had the team clutching their ears in pain, ducking down reflexively.

"What the _hell_, Tony!" Clint shouted, wincing as, gradually, the sound dulled down to silence.

"JARVIS?" Tony called. No answer. He glanced around but the screen was still hovering before him, flashing insistently. Tony narrowed his eyes at it, realizing that something was buried under all the ERROR messages, struggling to get free. _JARVIS? _He thought hopefully, waving the unneeded things aside to reveal-

"_What the_…" He whispered. It was a video file, expanding on it's own to take over the entire screen, a dark scene unfolding before them as they stood huddled around it. The others struggled a moment to discern what exactly it was they were seeing, but Tony knew instantly, a cold jolt rocking through him.

"Turn it off." He demanded, hoping JARVIS was still in there somewhere as he staggered a step forward, "_Turn it off_!" But it was too late and the tape had already been rooted into the system, and with a soft _ping_ it began to play.

The camera view was shaky as it settled clumsily on a face, battered and bruised, one black eye swollen shut, a dribble of dried blood matted into his hair. It was peculiar, and for a moment Tony didn't recognize his own face on the screen.

"Tony…" Steve whispered, as though he were hypnotized by whatever was playing. Tony knew what this was, he had_ lived_ it. And he didn't care to live it again, but God, it was too late. The video was a poison to him, dragging him back to a place he didn't want to be, back to the person he never wanted to be _ever _again. Back to the person he was in Afghanistan.

"Hold him down." Yinsen commanded, his voice oddly electronic as it came from the speakers all around them. The view the camera gave was clear enough that you could see the sweat glimmering on his cheeks as he moved for a better angle on Tony's chest. His lips moved as he whispered an apologetic prayer and then Tony was screaming, writhing in agony and fighting futilely against his captors grip, the sound of an electric saw whizzing in the background. And, _oh God_, the _screams_ and unrelenting torture of metal against bone…

"Stark." Someone was calling him from far away now, "_Tony_!" He recoiled from the hand that found it's way onto his shoulder, his eyes snapping free at last.

Confused hurt flashed across Steve's face for but an instant before it was smoothed over again, settling easily into his_ leader_ face.

"Shut it down, Stark." He ordered, eyes flicking over to where the team was still huddled around the horrific scene. Clint was ignoring the show, meeting Tony's eyes for a heartbeat before shifting his gaze to Natasha.

She had removed herself from the group and was standing in the corner, leaning against the wall, arms crossed defensively over her chest. Her expression was carefully blank as she stared straight ahead at the video-still playing, the sounds of animalistic torture crushing through the air. Clint moved to stand closer to her and she unconsciously shifted so that their arms were touching, her eyes never straying from their target.

It wasn't them Tony was worried about, though. Bruce was standing alone in the middle of the room now, watching in silence, his jaw clenched tightly. His hands were balled into fists and he was literally _shaking_ with rage, his nails biting into the flesh of his palm. In an instant Tony had the tablet back in his hands, working with a newer more desperate effort, praying that this room wouldn't end up broken yet again. If the Hulk came out now….He shook the thought away, vaguely aware of Steve cautiously approaching the Doctor and murmuring something along the lines of _calm down_…

"Bird Brain, I need my bag." Tony snapped, one hand still racing over the smooth surface of his machine and the other shooting out expectantly. The strap landed in his palm and he dropped it down, rummaging around until he emerged with a double sided USB plug which he hastily used to hook his tablet up to the Tower system.

"Online, Sir." JARVIS' voice declared after a tense moment of silence.

"Shut it down." Tony ordered, "_Now._"

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**So? Thoughts, comments? Please review! Reviews encourage me to write more! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 everyone! Hope you like it! :)**

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There was a horrible second where nothing happened and then JARVIS replied, his voice barely audible over the footage,

"Auto-shutdown unavailable, Sir." he replied, sounding guilty almost, "Manual shutdown only." Tony simply grunted, tapping his fingers rapidly until, satisfied, he glanced back up.

"G'night, Buddy." he called, and with that the video vanished into thin air, the wirring of motors fading as JARVIS fell silent.

"I pulled the plug on the whole system," Tony said to no one in particular, "It should take a few hours to wipe the virus out and reboot everything." Clint and Natasha were watching from their corner and Bruce was quietly arguing with Steve (arguing _at_ him may have been more accurate) as the super soldier struggled to calm him down.

"Anyone else want a drink?" Tony offered, finding himself moving towards the bar.

"What the hell was _that?_" Clint demanded, stalking after him.

"JARVIS got a boo-boo." he replied snarkily.

"I was referring to the cave-dwellers playing doctor on you." Clint growled. Tony's hand hesitated as he reached for a bottle of scotch, then he snatched it up roughly.

"They weren't playing doctor." he replied simply, pouring a generous amount into his glass, "They were playing God." He absently rested a hand on the arc reactor, glowing softly under his T-shirt, warm and reassuring under his palm.

"Bruce," he called, causing the Doctor and Steve to jump apart simultaneously, giving him their attention guiltily. Banner had almost forgotten that Tony was in the room, he was too lost in trying to block the images he had seen from his head. "If you and the star-spangled pretty boy are done gossiping about me over there I might need help wiping the last of the virus out." He knew that Banner mainly studied along the lines of gamma radiation, but he was smart, and Tony preferred him over any of the other dime-a-dozen experts.

"_Pretty boy_?" Steve demanded, scowling. Tony grinned but the expression felt oddly hollow and plastic. He could feel everyone watching him, hear the gears turning in their minds as they processed that damned video footage. Tony just wanted them to leave, _needed_ them to leave with a sudden fierceness because _God_, he wanted to just throw himself into his work and forget everything. How had he done it before? Before he had somehow managed to move ahead from that trauma but now he was stumbling backwards, falling again. Strangely, he wanted another drink.

"Just gotta forget." he muttered. Clint eyed him warily.

"Forget what, your horrible sex life?" He was embarrassed when he remembered Natasha standing beside him, but she remained silent, watching the two with concern and mild amusement.

"Actually I was hoping to forget that horrible ensemble you call an outfit." Tony quipped, gesturing to the battle-torn uniform. _That's it, he told himself, just forget it._

"You're shaking like a leaf." Clint hissed suddenly, eyes wide.

"Alcohol does that to you." Tony shot back sarcastically. He heard the words come from his lips but they were oddly far away, as though his brain and his mouth were somehow disconnected. _Forget it._

Forget the pain, the desperation. Forget the red splatter of blood and the fiery burn where the armor touched your skin as you blazed out to the mouth of the cave, leaving nothing but death behind. And, _oh _God, please forget the last shuddering breath that left Yinsen's lips as he-

"_TONY_!" he was ripped back to reality as Clint roughly shook him by the shoulders, eyes wide. "Tony...?" he held on tightly for a millisecond before he reluctantly let his grip loosen, moving aside as Bruce cautiously approached. Tony pressed his back against the corner, escaping the hand that reached for him, trying to check his pulse.

_What happened?_ He had lost track of reality for a moment and now he found himself surrounded by the entire team, all of them had somehow managed to cram into the small square of space behind the bar and now they were staring at him with worried eyes.

"It's getting a bit cramped in here." he muttered. Three men and one deadly Black Widow really shouldn't occupy the same five feet of space. Steve nodded tightly but no one made a move to leave the billionaire's side.

"Tony, please," Banner said gently, "I think you should sit down. You just had a minor anxiety attack." Tony scoffed.

"I was _distracted_."

"Okay, let me explain it better for you." Steve growled, "You _will_ sit down, and you can choose to do it on your own or we can _make _you."

"Four against one isn't very fair."

"_This isn't a joke, Tony_!" And it wasn't. They had all read Tony's file, they knew the story about Afghanistan but they hadn't _seen_ it. The video had made it _real_, made them understand the utter rawness of it_. How could anyone recover from that?_ Steve wondered. It was embarrassing and strange, but after seeing the tape all they really wanted to do was have Tony there and safe, right in front of them where they could keep an eye on him. Maybe it was because, although they would never admit it, all they had in this crazy world was each other. Tony glared at them. He shoved past them roughly, an unholy string of words dropping from his lips as he stalked over to the couch, meeting Banner's gaze with a pointed look before sitting down.

"Happy?"

"No, not really."

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**Please Review and give me your opinion! Good? Bad? So absolutely terrible you wanted do set your computer on fire and toss it out a window? **


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the wait! I'm terrible, I know, but I ran into a bit of writer's block -.- Thanks for all the wowonderful reviews! :D Hope you like this chapter!**

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_How can he even hear himself think? _ Steve thought, shaking his head as he moved to stand outside the sliding glass door of Tony's lab. Some Earth-shattering rock music was blaring from inside, barely muffled by the sound proofing. He could see clearly inside, the walls lined with suits in godlike display cases that could almost_, almost_ be worthy of Thor. Steve had a hand in the pocket of his leather jacket, resting tensely on a small square object, his Plan B.

Multiple tables were set up throughout the laboratory, and tools and machines were strewn carelessly overtop of them. According to Pepper he had modeled all the lab floors in the tower after his Malibu lab, down to the last detail. The music suddenly cut off.

"You gonna stand out there all night, Captain Spandex?" Tony called, causing Steve to jump and glance around wildly, trying to find the speaker the man's voice had come from. JARVIS had probably warned Tony the moment he had headed towards the elevator, because the genius, sprawled over whatever contraption he was working on, had attempted to hide his a half empty bottle of liquor under the table. If not for the super-soldier's improved senses he'd have missed the shadow it cast on the floor.

"You're _drinking_?" he demanded incredulously.

"Helps me work." Tony shot back, not even bothering to look up as he attacked the heap of metal in front of him with a screwdriver. It was red and gold plated, and Steve realized it was part of his armor.

"Yeah, well, you're done working. Let me in." It had been easy to get Tony to relax when there were two deadly assassins around to keep him in line, but Clint and Natasha had other missions waiting for them, and as soon as they finished their paperwork they vanished-_literally_. Steve was slightly unnerved by how sneaky those two could be_. I guess we can't babysit him, he's not a kid. _Still, that didn't mean that Steve wasn't going to try. He practically had to fight Bruce to be the one coming down here, and it wasn't a pleasant conversation he'd want to relive. Banner still seemed so vulnerable, as if the Other Guy was just shaking with rage underneath the surface, ready to pulverize those poor fools who had dared lay their hands on the Hulk's companion all those years ago.

"No dice, Cap. I'm busy." Tony muttered, moving for a better angle on his work, "Come back in another few hours. Or not at all."

"Tony, it's already _been_ four hours. You haven't eaten anything since I've been with you, and I _know_ you didn't eat anything before."

"I had a big breakfast."

"No you did not."

Tony glanced up at last, his eyes immediately finding Steve and settling him with a glare.

"You rat me out, JARVIS?" The genius demanded.

"Affirmative, Sir." The AI, responded, sounding almost guilty_. I'll never get used to that_, Steve thought, shaking his head.

"Should've left you in shut down mode." Tony muttered. Bad enough he had Rogers for a nanny, but now JARVIS was starting to act more like a mother than a butler. The AI was his right hand man, his friend, and Tony wasn't quite sure when the program had developed such a distinct personality. Still, Tony was the one in charge, and as long as he wished it the door remained closed.

"Come back in another four hours, then." Tony offered, taking a pause to glance at his work. He had arranged it into place and Steve could clearly see it was the mechanics that belonged underneath the chest plate, surrounding Tony's arc reactor. With a flick of the genius's fingers a holographic model appeared in midair, momentarily stunning the poor Captain into silence as he stared at the projection. Tony stared at it too (Though squinting would be more accurate).

"Well, that could be a problem." He murmured.

"Fine then." Steve challenged decisively. Time for Plan B. He took the small square-shaped object from his pocket and turned it in his hand. Pepper had given it to him, along with a rough explanation of how the contraption worked. The little thing was all lights and buttons, all the things of this day and age that left Steve feeling confused and somehow very alone. Still, he promised her to use it when Tony was on another of his self-destructive kicks. When _isn't _he self-destructive? Steve opened the slot on the back of the square, plugging it into the key-pad on the door frame and wondering where Pepper had gotten such a thing. He fiddled with it, until it fit into place. _Just plug it into the keypad, _that's what Pepper had said, right?

"Authorization code accepted." JARVIS called, sounding strangely relieved. _That_ got Tony's attention.

"What the _hell_?" he bellowed, lurching out of his chair. There was a low hum echoing through the lab, and a beeping coming from the pile of machinery before him. Steve didn't react, instead slowly strolling inside, containing his anger and casually moving along the lab. It was even bigger than he first thought, and there were multiple machines and robots rolling around. No cars, though. Tony had told the entire team hundreds of times about the collection he proudly kept in Malibu. Finally, Steve looked up at him.

The billionaire looked even worse on the other side of the glass. His hair was rough as though he had run his hands through it nervously, his eyes were sharp, and his jaw was clenched (though Steve figured that was because he was mighty ticked off). To top it off the entire room reeked of alcohol. Perhaps Tony was affected by the video more than he let on. Steve still couldn't forget the sound of the man's screams as they mercilessly cut Tony open, opening his chest in place of where the arch reactor was now rooted…He shook his head to rid himself of the images.

"Want to talk about it?" he offered.

"I want you to get out."

"Sorry. Not going to happen."

Tony snorted and with one last icy glare he returned to his work.

"Suit yourself." The genius muttered, proud of how well he contained his anger. He had any number of security measures that could rid him of the Capsicle, but according to SHIELD regulations friendly fire was frowned upon. God, Tony wanted to be alone. He wanted to be alone to work and drink and forget. He found his thoughts wondering to the folder in his system, where he had stored _it_. A sudden warning message flashed midair, displayed as a hologram on JARVIS' display.

"Upgrade remains incompatible." The AI informed him.

"That's bad, right?" Steve inquired. He was stalling for time, trying to devise a plan to get Tony fed and to a couch before the he lost it. Steve and Bruce had both developed a sort of sense for when Tony was on edge, and right now he wasn't just _on_ the edge he was _dancing_ on it, doing turns and leaps and then pausing just to lean over and consider the jump. His hands shook slightly as he flipped through the hologram, and he was glaring at it with a fierceness that made Steve glad that Tony was on his side and not against him. Then again, sometimes it seemed that Tony wasn't on any side but his own.

"I'm trying to install an update into the suit but it's not agreeing with me." Tony muttered, seemingly to himself. Steve frowned.

"I thought you were tracking the source of that virus thing...?"

"I am. JARVIS is tracking the bastard right now. In the meantime I thought I'd make myself busy."

"You mean distract yourself." Steve accused.

"What is there to distract myself from? My glorious billionaire lifestyle?"

"Don't." Steve growled, "Don't pretend that video didn't bother you. I saw the look on your face. They cut you open, Tony! You had no pain killers, and what? Primitive sedation at _best_!"

"_Get out_." Steve stuttered to a halt in surprise, eyes wide. There was a manic look on Tony's face that he had never seen before, a bone chilling fire that burned death in his eyes. His jaw was clenched and his hands were balled into shaking fists. "Get out, or I _swear to God_ I will-"

"Sir, Dr. Banner seems to be getting impatient." Everything in the room froze at the sudden sound of JARVIS' smooth accented voice, and it was almost as though the AI had purposely intervened using any excuse necessary.

"Explain." Tony ground out.

"The Doctor seems to be pacing, restless, and his heartbeat is elevated. He seems close to…as you have elegantly defined _Hulking-out_."

"You keep tabs on our heartbeats?" Steve blurted, forgetting for an instant that Tony was a step away from blowing him to bits.

"Yes." Came the clipped response, as Tony moved about hastily gathering multiple tablets and holographic screens.

"Transfer the update and the virus data to my favorite tablet." He commanded , staring at the wall as though JARVIS were standing right there.

"Yes, Sir." And with that Tony brushed past Steve roughly, pausing to glare up at the Super-soldier. Despite the height difference the billionaire managed a glare that somehow managed the burn like fire despite being cold and icy.

"Listen to me _right_ now. " He growled, jaw clenched, "You may be a good guy, you may even be a friend, but you are _not_ my Captain. Just over a month ago you said I was just an arrogant asshole, so don't you come down here and talk to me about_ feelings. _I keep them on the inside, where they _belong_." The expression of shame and agony that flashed like lightening over Steve's face quickly hardened into a tight mask, but Tony had seen it, and nothing made him guilty like the Good 'ol Cap. He took a step away.

"looks like I'll have to head upstairs before Banner crashes the party."

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**So...Good? Bad? Please review!**

**Again, sorry it took so long to update! It won't take as long for the next chapter, I promise! If you're wondering why there is a lack of Bruce in this chapter, it's because the story shifts to him for a while in the next one. i figured I'd make time for some Steve time and then some Bruce time :) **


	4. Chapter 4

**Holy cow batman! an update at last! Sorry for the long wait -.- to be honest I had a few other fics I was tending to (ROTG mostly and a new Sherlock one). Anyway, I tried to start this one off with a take from Bruce :) It's been a while so I hope this chapter blends well with the others. I've rewritten it several times and something still seems off so I guarantee I'll be trying to fix it in the next few days, hopefully just some minor improvements, maybe some changes to make them all more in character. **

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Bruce felt as though he were going to explode. A part of him, the calm and rational Dr. Banner, logically knew that the events in that footage had taken place a long time ago; while the other was painfully worried. But there was a third part as well. A dark presence that he struggle to contain, burning with nothing but rage as it replayed the video over and over in Bruce's head.

_ Doesn't it make you want to destroy them?_ It seemed to say; don't_ you want them to suffer as he did? _This wasn't the anger Bruce was used to. It was the anger of Tony's other friend, the big green one. But that's impossible; the Other Guy didn't have friends. There were a handful of people he tolerated, and then there was everyone else. Yet Bruce couldn't deny the presence inside him felt…protective wasn't quite right but it was close. Uncomfortably close.

_ Tony's right downstairs, _he reminded himself, _he's fine._ No, that's not entirely true. Call it a hunch but Banner couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Tony was acting too calm. Bruce expected him to throw everyone out after the video, expected yelling and screaming. He certainly hadn't expected the showy Iron Man to back down from his conflict with Steve. He sulked for a while, but in the end he sat there and _did his paperwork_. And that definitely isn't the Tony Bruce knows. So if he isn't angry and he isn't himself then what is he? Bruce ran a shaky hand through his moppy hair.

That's right, he'd had a panic attack first. It was minor and still the image appeared in Bruce's head again. Tony, standing frozen, his eyes in a far off place no one could ever reach. The thought brought a fresh wave of anger rolling through him and Bruce's jaw clenched as he leaned onto an expensive table for support. It looked a bit like cherry wood, lean yet delicate. There was a resounding _crunch_ it splintered under his grip.

The Other Guy coming out in the middle of Stark Tower would _definitely_ not be good._ Keep it together, _he thought. Bruce had warned Stark about this, but Tony had a way of getting what he wanted. Before Banner could hardly blink the few belongings he had were in a suite on one of the lower floors, perfectly furnished as though it were made for him. Maybe it was. The furniture was sturdy as well as simple, and the bed was…hulk-sized. Then again maybe all the beds Tony bought were like that Bruce hadn't really taken it upon himself to explore much of his new surroundings yet.

"There goes another table." Tony mused, slightly teasing, like it didn't matter at all. _Tables are replaceable_, he thought to himself, a_ lot of things are replaceable_. Bruce let his hand fall to his side as he turned around. Tony was staring at him casually, arms crossed as he leaned against the wall. His usually perfect dark hair was slightly mussed, and his eyes were disturbingly shadowed under his smile.

"_Thank God_." Bruce murmured, catching Steve's eye for a brief moment. The super-soldier stood warily beside the billionaire, as though the very room they stood in could become a battlefield at any moment.

"Funny," Tony shot back, moving off to check the holographic monitors in the corner, "I didn't peg you for the religious type." It was always fun to try and ruffle the good doctor's feathers, and even then Tony found a smile playing at his lips. Too bad he's always so cool about everything. What would it take to get on his bad side? You'd have to be one _bad_ guy.

Usually Tony would head over and make himself a drink, just for something to do really, but it seemed that Captain-Spandex was cutting him off for the night. It was back to the nanny thing again. A man his age didn't need babysitting anymore. But there were more pressing matters to deal with anyway; such as the virus that had caused all the damn trouble in the first place. JARVIS seemed fine again, but he ran a few scans just to be safe.

"Tony…" Bruce murmured, "You should get some rest." Strike that. Tony had _two_ nannies. Steve sighed.

"I tried to tell him that…" The Captain muttered.

"Thanks for your concern, Nurse Rogers." Tony darted sarcastically. He made no move to acknowledge Bruce. He knew him too well, it'd be dangerous…because the truth? His head was pounding, a heavy rhythm that made his eyes throb. What time is it again? It had long since gotten dark outside but from the lab he'd never noticed. The display gave a little flash.

"Dammit." Tony hissed, wildly flipping through lights that hovered at his fingertips. Steve and Bruce shared an uneasy glance.

"What is it?"

"The virus. JARVIS can't seem to track it."

"And that means?"

"Hell if I know."

"My apologies, Sir." The AI spoke in, "I can't quite track the signal. The link seems to be rerouted back to the Laboratory floor of Stark Tower." Tony waved the apology away, in a tasteless yet affectionate gesture. They were rare and well-disguised, but Bruce knew the affection when he saw it. He also knew that the way Tony held himself slightly turned away from the monitors meant that they were probably hurting his eyes. Had he been drinking? The billionaire smelled a bit like alcohol. Drinking coupled with traumatic experiences_ and_ panic attacks? _Not good._

"Keep trying." Tony commanded. A hand touched his shoulder.

"Tony," Bruce murmured," Get some sleep. _Please_." The billionaire blinked in surprise. And…something flashed in his eyes for a just a moment. It was too quick, just a spark before it smoothed over into a quirky grin.

"You wanna get rid of me that badly?"

"Tony…" Steve interjected. The super-soldier was oddly silent, and Bruce made a mental note to ask him about what happened in the lab. Tony rolled his eyes.

"Relax, Capsicle. JARVIS is putting the finishing touches on the upgrade and tracking down our little rat. What else would I do now but sleep?" That was a lie. Tony didn't intend to sleep at all, but as he said his goodnights and headed off he was left alone with himself, and it was _painful._ Sleep could help…

Steve reluctantly left the Tower after a long and very secretive conversation with Bruce, who opted to sleep on the couch rather than return to his own suite. He wasn't very far from Tony, merely the space of a few hallways, yet the billionaire was alone with his thoughts. They were ghosts that entangled themselves in his head, tripping over themselves in an effort to keep him from rest. With a heavy sigh he rolled back out of bed and stumbled to his luxury suite bathroom. Pepper was still out on a business trip and, for the first time since he'd known her, Tony was glad she wasn't with him. It was better this way. Better she not see him like this. What time is it now? He still hadn't checked. _Rest._ He really should. His hand snaked its way into the medicine cabinet built into the marble counter-top and there it settled on a bottle of sleeping pills. He gently nudged a couple into his open palm.

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**Good? Bad? Please review! But...be gentle? It's been a while T.T**


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